Once data has been stored, retrieving that data in an efficient manner is important. In devices having electromagnetic memories, data retrieval often takes longer than desired. To combat the delay caused by retrieving data, large memories have been utilized. However, in some devices, employing large memories is problematic. Large memories may be costly, bulky, heavy and may consume large amounts of energy. For example, the ability to employ a large memory in a cell phone or personal digital assistant (“PDA”) may be limited (or impossible) given consumer demands for cheaper, smaller, lighter and more energy efficient phones and PDAs.
Further, there may be limitations on the amount of area available for displaying retrieved data. Machines, such as cell phones and PDAs, often have a small screen that may be used to display data such as phone numbers or addresses. In order to make better use of such small screens, retrieved data ought to be organized to display the data most likely desired by the user. In this manner, the user will be more likely to find the desired data among the data displayed initially on the screen. If the user does not find the desired data among those initially displayed on the screen, then the user is required to request display of retrieved data that was not initially displayed. Often, small machines will respond to a request for additional data by scrolling through retrieved data.
Delays in providing users with desired data may annoy the user. To reduce the annoyance, manufacturers have resorted to distraction techniques. For example, an icon indicative of delay may be shown. The icon may take the form of an hour glass which moves, a slide bar which is gradually filled or some other clock-like icon. Such icons reassure the user that the machine is operating despite occasional indications to the contrary, such as no apparent activity for a significant time period.
In the case where data is stored as a list, it is common for the list to be assembled and stored in alphabetic or numeric order. Using the example of a word list, when a user enters the initial character of a desired word, the word list may be searched starting at the beginning of the list. Such a search may begin by comparing the first character of the first word in the list to the entered character. If no match is determined, then the first character of the second word in the list is compared to the entered character. This process continues until the first character of a word in the list matches the entered character. Upon finding a match between the first entered character and the first character in a word in the list, the machine may stop searching the word list, and may then be ready to accept a second character of the desired word.
When the second character of the desired word is entered, there is no need to re-examine the words that are stored in the list prior to the first word having a match with the first entered character—those prior words have already been determined not to match the desired word. Therefore, searching the word list may be continued from the first word in the list that provided a match to the first entered character. Searching may resume from this point in the word list until a word is found which has a second character matching the second entered character.
For example, if a list contains the words . . . bleat breathe camera character charm chocolate corporate deny determine . . . sequentially ordered, then in response to entering “c” the first match occurs at camera and the first mismatch following camera occurs at the word deny. Five steps will have occurred between camera and deny. Therefore, the number of words beginning with “c” may be determined by counting the number of words between the first match (camera) and the first mismatch (deny) and then subtracting one from that count.
At the end of the first search, the parameters that identify where the first match is and the length of the list may be known, and stored for later use. Using the example above, the stored parameters might be {addr1,4} where addr1 is the address of camera and 4 is the number of words that begin with the letter “c”. Whether or not word information is displayed via the screen to the user at this point in the search is a matter of preference.
Despite recent significant improvements in performance of computer processors, when a list is very long and the number of words stored in a particular area (in this example words beginning with “c”) is substantial, the time required to search the list may make the machine noticeably slow or in extreme cases the machine may appear to have ceased functioning.